When billing a completed shift, you'll see Add to Invoice or Add to Claim. The button depends on who pays for the shift's service:
Add to Invoice adds the shift to a private-pay invoice for the client, their family, or another direct payer. Invoices can include shift hours, travel time, mileage, and expenses.
Add to Claim adds the shift to an insurance or third-party claim, such as Medicaid or VA. Claims can include shift hours only.
Most shifts are added to billing automatically when completed. Use these buttons if a shift wasn't added automatically, such as when a blocking AI Shift Review exception or a missing policy prevented it.
How Careswitch chooses the button
Careswitch uses the policy covering the shift's service on the shift's date. It selects the policy in this order:
A policy locked to the shift. If someone chose a specific policy using More → Change Policy on the completed shift, that policy takes priority.
An insurance policy. If an active insurance policy covers the service on that date, Careswitch uses it, even if the client also has a private-pay policy.
A private-pay policy. If no insurance policy applies, Careswitch uses the client's private-pay policy. If more than one covers the date, it uses the service's default policy. If there is no default, it uses the policy whose coverage started most recently.
An insurance policy shows Add to Claim. Otherwise, the shift shows Add to Invoice.
Where to find the button
On the shift page
Open a completed shift and look in the action bar at the top.
If more than one open invoice can accept the shift, Add to Invoice asks you to choose one.
If a claim has already been submitted for that date of service, Add to Claim asks you to confirm Add to Replacement Claim. The payer processes the new claim as a correction to the original.
On Billing → Items
Each shift's row has a billing button based on what still needs to be billed:
Button | When it appears |
Add to Claim | An insurance policy applies, and the shift's hours aren't on a claim yet. |
Add to Invoice | A private-pay policy applies, or the hours have already been handled and only travel time, mileage, or expenses remain. |
No policy available (disabled) | Items remain to be billed, but no policy covers them. |
Remove from Invoice | Everything is already on an open invoice. Use this to remove the shift from that invoice. |
Mark Completed | The shift is Missed and hasn't been completed. Complete it before billing. |
Bill travel time, mileage, and expenses on an insurance shift
Insurance claims include shift hours only. Travel time, mileage, and expenses remain as separate billable items and never go on the claim.
If the client also has a private-pay policy covering those charges, you can add them to a private-pay invoice:
On the shift page: in the billing details, open the menu on the travel time, mileage, or expense row and select Add to Invoice.
On Billing → Items: after the hours are added to the claim, the shift's button changes to Add to Invoice for the remaining items.
Without a private-pay policy, these items can't be billed. You'll see No policy available, or the item row won't offer Add to Invoice.
A private-pay payer may also be set up to exclude these charges. Check Add-on Reimbursements—Mileage, Travel Time, and Expenses—in the payer's settings.
If the button is missing or disabled
What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
A disabled button with an info icon. Hovering shows “You need to add a policy for this service to add the shift to an invoice.” | No active policy covers the service on the shift's date. | Add or update the policy for that service and date under Client → Policies. |
No policy available on Billing → Items | No policy covers the service and date, or only travel time, mileage, or expenses remain and there's no private-pay policy for them. | Add the appropriate policy, or leave the items unbilled. |
No button on the shift page | The shift is already on an invoice or claim, isn't completed, or you don't have permission to manage both shifts and billing. | Check the shift's billing details, complete it if needed, or ask an admin to review your permissions. |
No button on a canceled shift | Canceling a shift marks its items Unbillable. | For a late-cancellation charge, select Mark As Billable on the hours in Billing → Items. The billing button then appears. |
If the button is different from what you expected
Check which policy applies to the shift. Common reasons include:
Both insurance and private-pay policies cover the service. Insurance takes priority unless the shift is locked to the private-pay policy.
The policy doesn't cover the shift's date. For example, an insurance policy may have ended or not yet started, so Careswitch uses the private-pay policy instead. The reverse can also happen.
The shift is locked to a specific policy. Check More → Change Policy on the shift.
Several private-pay policies cover the service. Careswitch uses the service's default policy, or the policy whose coverage started most recently. Use More → Change Policy to lock the shift to the policy you want.
To bill under another policy, open the completed shift and select More → Change Policy. You can change the policy only before the shift is on a sent invoice, a Reviewed invoice, or a submitted claim. If the change is blocked, the form explains why.
FAQ
Why do some shifts show Add to Invoice and others show Add to Claim?
A client can have different payers for different services or dates. Private-pay services show Add to Invoice, while insurance services show Add to Claim.
Can I bill one shift privately even if the client has insurance?
Yes. On the completed shift, select More → Change Policy and choose the private-pay policy. The shift is then locked to that policy and shows Add to Invoice. The policy change must be made before the shift is on a sent or Reviewed invoice or a submitted claim.
Why does an insurance shift show Add to Invoice on Billing → Items?
The hours are already on the claim, but travel time, mileage, or expenses remain. Those charges can't go on a claim, so Add to Invoice lets you bill them on the client's private-pay invoice.
What does the replacement claim warning mean when I click Add to Claim?
A claim has already been submitted for that date of service. Adding the shift reopens that invoice and sends a replacement claim that supersedes the original. The payer treats it as a correction. If you didn't intend to change the submitted claim, click Cancel.
Why is the button disabled?
No active policy covers the service on the shift's date. Add or update the client's policy, then return to the shift.